


Ice Master

by KristannaFever



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Christmas Time, F/M, Ice carving, Kristanna, bad guy gets whats coming to him, fireworks - literally and figuratively, fluffy and smutty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:54:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21621799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KristannaFever/pseuds/KristannaFever
Summary: Anna is a waitress in a small Bavarian-style town and Kristoff is vising to compete as an Ice Carver for the winter Christmas festival
Relationships: Anna & Kristoff (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	Ice Master

Anna absolutely loved Christmas time. It was by far her favourite time of the year. In the small Bavarian-styled town she lived in, Leavenworth, Washington was the most magical when it was Christmas. The town seemed to come alive during the festive season.

The thing that Anna enjoyed the very most of all, was the Christmas Festival always held on the first weekend in December. To Anna, it set the tone for the rest of the month. She didn’t think she’d actually be able to enjoy Christmas, if she missed it.

This year they were holding an ice carving competition for the first time. Anna had never seen one and she was excited that there was something new. Everything about the festival was so fun and joyous, not to mention strolling around the winter wonderland with cups of luxuriously-rich hot cocoa, listening to carolers sing her favorite Christmas songs.

All Anna had to do now was finish her dinner-service shift. Then she could join the evening’s festivities and really get her Christmas under way.

“Anna, I just sat an eight-top in your section. Last one I’ll seat for you tonight my dear.”

“Okay, thank you Mr. Oaken.”

Mr. Oaken was a wonderful boss. He was always friendly and fair, making sure that the staff was happy and their needs were being met. That was why he let Anna have the festival weekend off. He knew how much she loved it.

Anna grabbed eight glasses of water and carefully balanced them on her serving tray. When she approached the table, she was happy to see they were all men. The tips were generally better when it was a group of guys. Anna was sure it was the fact that her work uniform happened to be a short-skirted lederhosen with knee high socks. Guys were always checking her out. She didn’t mind all that much, unless they got lewd. Mr. Oaken would throw them out if they did.

Anna greeted the table as she started setting down waters. The guys all looked a little rough around the edges. None of them were dressed up or even had their hair styled. Well, all but one. An auburn-haired fellow with striking green eyes seemed to take his appearance seriously. His clothes looked designer in stark contrast to the various sweaters and jeans that the rest of the men were in.

There was a mixture of scotches and bourbons being ordered, except for the massive blond guy. He ordered a beer. Anna retrieved the drinks and delivered them to the table, ready to try and entice them to order some appetizers. 

There was no enticing necessary, apparently. They ordered a half dozen items before Anna could even open her mouth. That was good. Hungry guys ate a lot. Their bill would be a big one, meaning a better tip for her.

She kept close attention to their table while she finished with her others. The guys were in the mood to drink and Anna kept having to run back and forth from the bar to fetch refills. They were all talking and laughing. All except the good-looking blond. He was smiling a lot, but every time Anna was at their table he never seemed to be talking. 

The auburn-haired fellow seemed to be talking the most. He also stared at her the most, making it very obvious that he wanted her to see him looking. Anna had to wonder how exactly he fit into the rest of the men. He seemed a little out of place. She noticed that his hands were manicured better than hers. The rest of the guys had big, rough hands. Especially that big blond. He made the beer stein in his hand almost look like a teacup.

When Anna cleared her last two tables, the only one she had left was the eight-top. Technically her shift was over, but she didn’t want to pass the table to someone else and have to split the tip. She had done most of the work after all, and she needed the money. It was getting to be time to fly home to visit her sister. Plane tickets didn’t come cheap. Especially for a waitress in a small, touristy town. 

“So, what brings you fellows to Leavenworth?” Anna asked as she delivered yet another round of drinks.

“We’re here for the ice carving competition,” one of them answered.

“Isn’t that exciting! It’s new this year. Maybe I will see you fellows there,” Anna said making the customary friendly chit chat as she went around the table and set down drinks.

“You’ll definitely see us there. We’re the ice carvers,” the man laughed. It wasn’t a condescending laugh at all. Anna might have been embarrassed if it was. The man seemed kind enough. Anna smiled at him. 

“Oh wow, that’s so cool!” she answered. “Honestly, I can’t wait to see it. Is there a prize if you win?”

The kind man laughed again. “Probably, but it doesn’t matter too much to most of us. Kris is going to win.”

“He always wins,” Another man piped up.

The whole group shifted their focus to the blond, Anna looking over along with them.

His cheeks turned pink as he gave them all a lop-sided smile. His eyes fell to the table and he ran a hand through his hair, gently clearing his throat. He was obviously humble and was clearly uncomfortable being the center of attention. It was absolutely adorable.

“He’s not going to win this year.”

Anna turned to those striking green eyes. “My brother has got it in the bag this time,” he said with a confident smirk. 

“No way, Hans,” the kind man chuckled at him. “If anyone is going to take Kris down a peg, it’s going to be me,” he cocked a thumb at his chest.

The table erupted with trash-talking and Anna had to stifle her laughter. The things they were all saying were hilarious. Except that blond guy… Kris, apparently. He still wasn’t talking. He simply laughed along, kind of like Anna wanted to. They were all good for drinks and food though, there was no reason for her to linger at their table and listen to them. She went back to the bar to see if there was something she could help with.

She had just started to cut a few limes when Anna heard a voice behind her.

“So, Anna is it?”

Anna turned around, unsurprised to see the auburn-haired guy with the green eyes. It wasn’t uncommon for guys to approach her, not to mention how many times he’d caught her eye every time she was at their table.

“It is. And you are, Hans, right?”

He nodded and gave her a brilliant smile. “I am.”

“Something I can do for you?”

“Well, I was wondering, since I don’t know this town, if maybe you could show me around?”

Anna didn’t make a habit of dating customers. Still, Hans was cute and very charming. Why not? What was the worst that could happen? “Sure.”

“Excellent. When do you get off?”

“As soon as you guys are all done,” Anna smiled.

He grinned at her. “Wonderful. How about after then? If you’re not busy?”

“Well, I had planned to check out the festival. It’s my favorite time of the year. Maybe, if you were interested, you could come with me?”

“Absolutely. I would love nothing more.”

Anna found herself blushing. Hans sure was a smooth one. “Alright then. As soon as I clear your tab and change we can head over.”

“I’ll be counting the minutes,” Hans said before placing a hand on his chest and giving her a regal bow. Anna found herself giggling as he straightened back up and winked at her. 

When he turned to go back to his table, Anna was caught off guard to instantly meet the eyes of the blond, like he’d been watching them. He stared at her for a second, unsmiling, before he blinked slowly then shifted his gaze back to the other men at the table.

 _Huh,_ Anna thought, _That was weird._

*****

“So, what do you do for fun around here?”

Anna shrugged. “Well, the hiking is wonderful in spring and fall. Summer too, if you don’t mind the heat. In winter I usually read a lot more. Sometimes I’ll go cross country skiing. And there’s lots of fun festivals all year long,” she shrugged again. There really wasn’t anything else to say. 

“Sounds a little boring,” Hans answered.

“Well, it can be, I guess. But I like it just fine.”

“I could never live in such a small town,” he said, then sipped on a cup of coffee that he had poured half out and refilled with whisky from a flask. For how much he had drunk at the restaurant, Anna was surprised he could still walk, let alone talk straight.

“Yeah, it’s certainly not for everyone,” she said quietly. Not long after they got to the festivities, Hans had suggested the hot drinks and walk, taking them away from all the joyous fun, which was not where she wanted to go. Still, Anna figured a walk would be nice and they could always double back and check out more of the festival afterwards. 

“And you probably know everyone here and everyone knows you, and where you live, and all your business,” he laughed. “Small towns are the worst.”

Anna nodded, suppressing her frown. She didn’t agree with him, at all, but she didn’t know how else to respond. The evening had started out so promising. Anna had pointed out all the fun things to do in town with the festival and talked a bit about some of the town history. She thought he had been listening. Now she wasn’t so sure. Either way, everyone was entitled to their own opinions… right? So small towns weren’t for him. Anna was sure there was more to him than that alone.

“Hey, a bench,” Hans exclaimed with mock enthusiasm. “Let’s sit for a bit.”

“Okay,” Anna said. They were on the edge of town. There was nothing else to show him anyway.

As soon as Anna sat down, his arm snaked across her shoulders, pulling her close to him. Anna thought it felt awkward, but she didn’t pull away from him. Instead she went along with it and moved slightly closer. His cologne smelled decent. He was wearing way too much, but it was a relatively pleasing scent at least.

“At least the lights are kind of pretty,” Hans said after a moment.

Anna didn’t think the town decked out in holiday lights was _kind of_ pretty. She thought it was beautiful. 

He was quiet for another moment before he said, “You’re pretty hot, you know that?”

Anna’s cheeks burst into flames. She wasn’t used to a man being so direct with her. She had no idea what to say to him. She pulled herself from under his arm and looked at him. “Thank you,” came out, sounding awkward as hell.

Anna thought he might go on and say something else. Instead he leaned over and kissed her, immediately trying to jam his tongue in her mouth.

“Hey,” Anna cried as she pushed him back with her free hand to break the kiss. “Out of line!”

“Come on you know you want it,” he said, leaning back in.

Anna had to push hum harder to get him to back off of her. “No,” she said, assertively as she could manage with her heart starting to slam in her chest. His force was starting to scare her.

“Don’t be such a damn tease,” he said and tried again to kiss her.

“I’m not a tease,” Anna yelled and pushed him back as hard as she could. When he came at her again, she took her cup of hot chocolate and threw what was left of it into his face. She was on her feet in a flash, about to run, when his hand came up and caught her wrist in a painfully tight grip.

*****

Kristoff stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked down the sidewalk. He could hardly wait for the competition to start in the morning. When he was carving, he was in his own little world where nothing seemed to bother him. He was completely at peace as he transformed his vision into reality.

Tonight however, his thoughts were nothing but troubled.

He shouldn’t care that Hans had went and asked their waitress out, but he did. He did not like it one little bit. Was it because he genuinely disliked Hans, or was it because he thought the waitress was the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid his eyes on? Probably both.

If he was better and talking to women he would have asked her out himself. Not when she was at work though, he thought that was a little disrespectful. He would have found another way. She mentioned wanting to watch the competition and enjoying the festival. He imagined he would be able to work up enough nerve by then, should he have the fortune of bumping into her.

Hans obviously didn’t think it was improper to ask her out at work and now he was the one who was on a ‘date’ with her. Clearly, Kristoff was the idiot here.

He stopped at a coffee kiosk and ordered himself a mocha. Normally he drank coffee black and he didn’t really have much of a sweet tooth, but he was in a weird mood and felt like having one. He tipped the young woman his change and continued on his way, taking in the beautiful way the entire town was lit up with Christmas lights. It was a breathtaking sight.

Kristoff strolled slowly down the sidewalks of main street looking in all the store windows. He had a free day after the competition to explore and he mentally noted the stores he wanted to go into. He promised all his younger siblings that he would bring them something back. He was approaching a corner to cross the street when someone came running around it and bumped into him, almost spilling his mocha all over his coat. 

“Hey!” he started, ready to say something about slowing down when he realized who had ran into him. It was the gorgeous waitress and she was visibly upset and crying. “Hey,” he said softly, immediately concerned, “Are you okay?”

“Yes. No.” She shook her head, not meeting his eyes. “I don’t know,” she chocked out and tried to walk past him.

“Hold on,” Kristoff said, catching her by her loosely by the elbow as she came around him. “What happened? Are you hurt? Do you need some help?”

She shook her head and pinched her bottom lip in her teeth, tears streaming down her cheeks. Kristoff’s heart broke to see her so shaken. “Tell me what happened,” he said as gently as he could manage with how disturbed he was to see her in such a state.

She finally looked up at him, her blue eyes twisting his stomach into knots. When she nodded, Kristoff hooked his arm lightly under hers and led her over to a bench in the park across the street. He took a seat far to one side, giving her space, then waited. 

She took a couple of deep, shaky breaths before she spoke. “That… that Hans guy is a creep!”

Kristoff felt anger immediately start to simmer deep inside of him. He was right to instantly dislike that man. “What did he do?”

“He… he tried to kiss me. Wouldn’t take no for an answer. I… I threw my hot chocolate at him,” she paused and took another wavering breath. 

Kristoff waited, silently seething, wishing there was something he could do or say to make her feel better.

“Then he grabbed me,” she said, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks. “I thought he was going to hurt me. I started to scream and he let go, so I ran. I… I really thought he was going to hurt me…. He looked like he wanted to hurt me...”

“Jesus,” Kristoff muttered under his breath. “Did he? Hurt you, I mean? Where did he grab you?”

Anna didn’t answer. Instead she held out her arm to him and pulled up the sleeve of her coat to show him her wrist. Kristoff could see the red marks that his fingers had left. His anger started to boil.

“Hey,” she said with a sudden outrage. “How come none of you guys warned me about him. You all saw me leave with him.”

“None of us know him that well,” Kristoff shrugged. “I just meet him a couple hours ago. This is the first time he’s ever tagged along with his older brother.” He let out a frustrated sigh, feeling terrible for what Hans had done. “If I knew what he was like I definitely would have stepped in and said something,” he mumbled, not sure what else to say.

Anna’s shoulders slumped and she turned her gaze forward. “That’s why I don’t date men I don’t know,” she said quietly to herself. “You’re so stupid, Anna.”

“You’re not stupid,” came out of his mouth before he could stop it. It was a gut reaction he had no control over. He shouldn’t have responded that way. It wasn’t his place to talk to her like that.

She turned and blinked at him a second before giving him a weak smile. “Thanks for making sure I was okay. Kris, right?”

He nodded.

“Short for something, or just Kris?”

“Kristoff, actually.”

“Hmmmm,” she hummed as her gaze danced across his face, knotting his stomach up even more. “That name suits you.”

“Thank you,” he managed as he fought with the heat taking to his cheeks. 

She nodded once, then stood up. “Well, I think I’ve had enough fun for one day.”

Kristoff stood with her then looked down into her eyes. “Do you want, er, I mean, would you mind if I walked you home?” The thought of her walking home alone with Hans still lurking out there somewhere, gave him chills.

She nodded as if she understood exactly what he was thinking. “That would be nice, actually. Thank you.”

They started to walk towards the north part of the town. After a minute she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. Kristoff wished he could put his arms around her, anything to warm her. Then he remembered the cup in his hand.

“Here,” he offered her the coffee. “Would you like this? It’s a mocha. I didn’t sip out of it yet, I promise.”

She stopped mid-stride and looked up at him. “Oh, I don’t want to take your coffee,” she said, looking slightly confused.

He suddenly realized how weird a thing that was to offer a complete stranger. “I just thought you look cold, and I just got it, and I swear I really didn’t drink from it yet. It’s okay if you don’t want it, but if you do, please take it. I don’t even know why I ordered a mocha. Normally I don’t drink sweet things. And you mentioned throwing your hot chocolate-“ The words died on his lips when he realized what he was about to say. There was no way in hell she deserved having that brought back up. Kristoff chided himself. Why was he so awkward around women? Why did he have to be so weird?

Anna smiled at him. “Kristoff, it’s okay. And… well, if you really _don’t_ want it…?”

Kristoff’s heart fluttered at the way her head tilted to the side and her shoulders came up slightly at the question. It was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. He handed her the cup without another word.

“Thank you,” she said then took a sip. He was rewarded by another sweet smile before she started walking again.

He went with her, walking slower to match her stride, wondering if he was ever going to get the knots out of his stomach.

*****

Anna couldn’t sleep. What happened with Hans had left her furious and shaken. How far would he have taken it? Would he stop with just kissing her for a bit? She didn’t think so. That thought was what left her anxious. What infuriated her, was that he had ruined her evening of fun at the festival.

She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was a quarter to midnight and she was so far from sleep it wasn’t even funny. She got out of bed and dressed. The bars would be open for a bit, she could go blow off some steam. Or she could just go for a walk. That seemed like a better idea, until she thought about running into Hans again. 

She needed to be prepared if that happened. She rummaged through her kitchen junk drawer until she found what she needed. She had the bear spray for when she went hiking. It was nowhere near as strong as pepper spray, but she assumed it would work in a pinch if he thought to get grabby with her again. Stuffing the small can in her pocket, she grabbed her purse and shrugged into her coat and hat.

The night was clear and cold. The sky was full of stars, making the town seem even more beautiful. She had been living in Leavenworth since she finished high school. Once her parents passed away she didn’t want to be on the east coast anymore. She had packed her car with the intention of exploring the country while she drove to California. Just by chance she happened to stop in the small town. Then she fell in love and never left. It seemed to fill a void she had within her heart after losing her parents. 

Anna walked the quiet sidewalks without a clear destination. The festival was all finished for the night. Everyone in the town was either in the bars, having a late dinner, or at home sleeping. There was nothing to do but walk to Front Street Park where most of the festival fun would take place over the weekend.

It was a quick walk. Anna forced her mind to think about anything but what had happened to her earlier that evening. She was caught up convincing herself the weekend was still going to be fun for her, when she approached the park to find a lone man she knew, sitting on one of the benches. He was staring into the middle of the park in silent contemplation with his arms folded across his chest, leaned back into the bench.

Anna’s emotions suddenly shifted and she could think of nothing else but how he had made her feel a short time ago. With their interaction still very much in the forefront of her mind, she approached him.

“I want to thank you for helping me tonight.”

He startled like he hadn’t noticed her walk up to him.

“Sorry, I’m sorry,” she stared, holding her hands out, watching as recognition, then relief, flashed across his face. Anna had to wonder why he seemed so jumpy.

“No, I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I was, lost in my own mind I guess. I didn’t mean to ignore you or anything. You just... surprised me.”

Anna smiled at him. “I understand getting lost in your own world. That happens to me all the time.”

Kristoff looked at her for a moment then slid to one side of the bench. “Care to sit?”

“Sure,” Anna said, sitting down. “And again, thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” he said quietly. 

Anna thought he might say something else when he turned his focus back to whatever he had been staring at in the park when she arrived. She wondered what was on his mind. He was a hard man to read.

“So, ice carving, huh? How does that work? Is this something you only do on weekends or whatever? Like a hobby?”

He looked over at her. “I do it for a living actually.”

“Really? Like all the time? Every day?”

“Not every day,” he chuckled. “I do work most weekends though.”

“Oh. I didn’t know there was such a demand for ice sculptures. You must live in a big city?”

“Manhattan. I do travel a bit for work too though. And for fun. I like to do these competitions in the winter during my time off. A lot of us do. That’s how we all know each other.”

“Oh, I see. It’s a seasonal job then? I can’t imagine there is a lot of demand for ice sculptures in the summer?”

“Actually, you’d be surprised. I do a lot of corporate events, even in the summer. Lot’s of work in Manhattan for that. Sometimes I do sculptures for weddings too. Whoever wants an ice carving for a function, really. My name is the first one that comes up when you Google _ice carving_.”

“No kidding? That’s… that’s really cool.”

“Yeah, my job is pretty cool… Quite literally.”

He smiled at her and Anna laughed. It felt so good to laugh after her shitty night. Plus, he had a gorgeous smile. Anna had butterflies in her stomach just looking at him. “My sister lives in Manhattan. That’s where I’m from, actually.”

“Really?” his eyes widened as he shifted his body towards her, eager to hear more.

She nodded, then told him her life story. She hadn’t meant to, it just all came out. He was an amazing listener and Anna found herself telling him things she hadn’t told to anyone else but her sister. It wasn’t until he stifled a yawn that Anna even thought to look at the time. She was shocked to see it was almost one in the morning. The last hour had seemed to feel like only minutes.

“I suppose I should shut up and let you go to sleep,” Anna chucked awkwardly, suddenly nervous at having taken up so much of his time.

“I probably should turn in,” he said. “I start carving my sculpture in the morning.”

“What are you going to sculpt?”

He gave her a slow smile. “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

*****

Kristoff was up at the crack of dawn, getting a quick run in while he mentally placed all the cuts he would need to make in the ice before he took his fine tools to it. If it worked, it was going to be one of the most beautiful things he had ever created. 

Each pull of icy air he dragged into his lungs invigorated him. He loved all the seasons but winter was his favorite. That’s when he travelled all over the world to sculp ice. A lot of it was for paying jobs, but most were just for fun, like this festival. Being able to actually watch people appreciate his work was incredibly rewarding. Back home the ice he carved for events always seemed to go mostly unnoticed. People were more interested in the buffet or the bar than the ten hours of work Kristoff had put into making a block of ice a piece of art that would melt into nothing.

Mostly it was the kids. He loved to watch the children’s eyes light up when they looked at the sculptures. He loved their smiles and their delightful little comments. Kids say the funniest things if you listen to them. In the back of his mind, he hoped he would have some of his own. He had always imagined that it would be a pretty great thing to be able to teach his craft to his child one day.

When he got back to his hotel room and jumped in the hot shower, it was a certain gorgeous red-head that filled his thoughts. Talking with her had been amazing. He hung on her every word, needing to know more about her. She had given him a lot and he was grateful for it. Then he got to walk her home for the second time. When he went to bed, the only thing on his mind was her.

This was carving day though. His thoughts should be consumed with planning out his sculpture. This time however, he knew what he was going to make so clearly in his mind, guided by pure instinct, that he let his mind wander elsewhere. The first thing he thought about was Anna’s eyes, then her smile, then her curves… not to mention how sweet she was. And strong. She told him how she had handled Hans groping her and how she packed bear spray the night before when she went walking. A strong, fearless, smart, gorgeous woman.

He gave in to his thoughts and stoked himself until he was moaning her name softly with his release. After he relished in the warmth of the shower for a few more minutes, before he shut it off and dressed to start his masterpiece.

*****

Anna was transfixed watching him. As far as she was concerned, he was the only one making a sculpture. She had never seen someone so focused on what he was doing. Even the other carvers were taking breaks and shooting the shit while they mulled over their work. Not Kristoff. He was a man on a mission.

She watched him for what seemed like hours, ignoring everything else there was to see and do. He was meticulous in the way he handled the ice. She wondered what his sculpture was going to turn out to be. Ever since he wouldn’t divulge his idea, she had been trying to think of what he might make.

She was also immensely glad that she didn’t see Hans there. She had assumed he would be there to cheer his brother on. So far, he was a no-show. Anna still had the bear spray in her pocket, and while she didn’t think she would have to use it, she would not hesitate if he approached her again.

When the festival organizer announced that the carvers were taking a lunch break and would resume in an hour, Anna fought through the crowd to try and get to Kristoff. She could see him, looking around over all everyone’s heads. She knew he was looking for her. 

Anna’s stomach fluttered when he finally locked eyes with her through the crowd and gave her a big smile. He walked towards her, his eyes never leaving hers despite how many people seemed to walk through his gaze.

“Hi Anna.”

Anna looked up at him. “Hi Kristoff. I can’t wait to see what you are sculpting.”

He gave her a crooked smile. “Are you hungry? We could grab some lunch together.”

“Don’t you want to eat with your friends?” Anna asked, looking over to see them walking across the street in a group. 

Kristoff shook his head. “Nah. I’d rather eat with you. If you want some company, that is.”

Anna’s cheeks exploded with heat. “Definitely.”

*****

Ice. Clear, cold, beautiful. Almost magic. To Kristoff, there was no better feeling than making the ice transform and take shape into the vision from his mind. It was therapeutic in a way. 

After his lunch with Anna, he was sure this sculpture was going to be the most beautiful thing he had ever created. She had inspired him in a way she would probably never understand. He barely understood it himself. It was as if something inside of him just clicked into place. 

He had a hard time taking his eyes off her to eat his lunch. He was absolutely convinced she had no idea how gorgeous she was. The way she sipped from her water glass, the way she licked her lips… it drove him mad. He had never been so attracted to someone before. And it wasn’t just physical attraction. She was insanely easy to talk to and her conversation was intelligent. Beauty and brains. She could stimulate all his senses, the first person he met who could do that.

Kristoff couldn’t get enough of her. Before their lunch was even finished, he asked her if he could take her out to dinner. She gave him a breathtaking smile and said yes. 

Now he was in his happy place, carving his masterpiece. Then he would be rewarded with getting to spend more time with Anna. Without a doubt, this was going to be one of the best days of his life.

*****

Anna grabbed herself a large cup of hot chocolate and wandered back to where Kristoff had resumed working on his carving. That’s when she almost bumped into him.

“Oh, it’s you,” he growled at her.

Anna looked up into his eyes, or rather, his eye. One was swollen shut with a nasty looking bruise.

“What happened to you?” Anna sneered at him. Despite the fear he had caused her, she only felt anger upon seeing him again.

“You tell me! That big, dumb, blond, brute came up and decked me last night without an explanation. Did you tell him to do that?”

 _Kristoff hit him?..._ “What? No, I did no such thing! I just told him what happened because when I literally ran into him, he could tell I was upset.”

“I was just having a little fun, you know. It’s not like I would have done anything terrible to you.”

“Could have fooled me.”

He looked at her a moment. “Huh. Well, I was pretty drunk.”

“You deserve that black eye, you know that.”

Hans rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve already had an earful from my brother and the rest of those stupid carvers.

Without another word he stepped around her and disappeared into the crowd of people.

Anna felt a little shaky. And… glad. She was glad that he was given a black eye. She was tickled that Kristoff had given it to him. Was that why he was so jumpy when she came upon him in the park the night before? He had probably thought it was Hans back for a little revenge. 

She suddenly pictured Kristoff stalking the town after he walked her home, looking for Hans. Then she developed a wonderful mental image of Kristoff popping him in the face. It shouldn’t make her somewhat aroused… that was wrong and super weird, right? Still, it delighted her in a way she did not expect.

Anna went around to a space in the crowd where she could see Kristoff. He was standing back, carefully appraising his work. She could tell now it seemed to resemble a person holding something. Anna could barely wait until he was done working on the fine details. 

He was about to get back to it when he paused, then turned around and looked right at her like he felt her presence. He smiled as he started to walk over.

“Hey Anna,” he said quietly. “Can I ask you a huge favor?”

“Sure,” Anna smiled back at him. He had stuck up for her and taught Hans a lesson. A favor was the least she could do. 

“Could you… and please don’t take this the wrong way, but could you maybe go enjoy some of the other things at the festival, then come back when the time is up? I… I really wanted this to be a surprise for you.”

“For… for me?”

He nodded slowly. “You inspired me. I’d like to wait until it’s done before you see it, if you don’t mind. If you want to stay and watch though, that’s okay. It won’t bother me at all if you do.”

“No, I like the idea of a surprise. How much more time do you have?”

Kristoff lifted the inside of his wrist and pulled back the sleeve of his coat to see his watch. “Just under four hours.”

“Okay,” Anna gave him a smile. “I’ll come back then.”

“Thank you, Anna.”

Anna was about to turn and leave when she paused. “I ran into Hans.”

His smile died. “I probably shouldn’t have done that. I apologize for acting out on your behalf. I just wasn’t thinking.”

Anna reached up and put a reassuring palm on shoulder. “Actually, I wanted to thank you. You know, for sticking up for me and teaching him a much-needed lesson. I just wish it was me who had given him the black eye.”

Kristoff smiled. “I would have loved to see that.”

*****

Despite taking great enjoyment in everything else the festival had to offer, Anna found herself anxious to pass the time. She had no idea four hours could feel so long. She was dying to know what Kristoff’s sculpture was going to turn into. 

Not only that, she was extremely excited for their date. The more time she spent with Kristoff, the more she liked him. Really liked him. Really, _really_ liked him. It was almost scary how much she liked him. He was unlike anyone she had ever met. He was kind, thoughtful, gentle and soft-spoken for how big he was… and hot. Good God, he was hot. All throughout their lunch she’d been getting lost in his soulful brown eyes.

While she also got to learn a little bit about him, she wanted more. She needed more. She was ecstatic when he asked her out. If he didn’t, she had every intention of asking him. She had such a good feeling when she was with him, something she hadn’t felt in more years than she wanted to count.

She kept glancing at her phone for the time. There was only five minutes left. Relieved, she began walking back to the park to finally see what Kristoff had created. 

When Anna arrived, all the carvers were standing in a group talking. She spotted Kristoff among them, glad to see him again and even more glad that Hans didn’t appear to be with the men.

As she got closer she could hear some of what they were talking about.

“Yeah, Kris is gonna win this one.”

“For sure.”

“Still don’t know how you got so much detail into that thing, man.”

“Seriously, it’s your best work yet, congrats.”

“It really is stunning.”

“Thanks guys.”

Anna sidled up to the edge of their circle. The kind man she had talked to the night before turned and recognized her. He gave her a smile, a very _knowing_ smile. When he stepped aside to let her into the conversation, they all seemed to be giving her knowing smiles.

Kristoff’s smile however, was pure sex appeal, punctuated by the way his eyelids relaxed when he looked at her. Did he know how sexy that lop sided smile of his was? She doubted it. She suddenly had a deep urge to kiss him.

“Hi Anna.”

“Hi Kristoff. You’re done, right? Can I see it?” Anna didn’t mean to be rude but she just couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer.

“Uh, sure,” he suddenly looked a little nervous. The rest of the guys around them seemed to float away, giving them privacy. “Can you, close your eyes?”

Anna giggled. “Sure.” She did what she was told and felt a big cold hand taking hers after a second. She went where he guided her. They came to a stop and Kristoff placed his palms on her shoulders, turning her gently. 

“Okay,” he said. His lips were so close to her ear, Anna shivered with delight. “Open your eyes.”

She wasn’t sure what she was looking at for a split second. It was a girl holding a tray of drinks. Then it suddenly all made sense. Anna gasped when she realized it was her. 

She was flabbergasted. There she was, standing in the lederhosen she wore for work, braids and high socks and everything, holding her tray of beer while her other hand rested delicately on her hip. One of her legs was bent slightly in front of the other, like a girl in a pin-up tattoo. Even her clothes were so detailed that she would have never thought someone could make ice look just like fabric. Then she took in her smile and her face… she had no idea how he did it. It was the splitting image of her, nearly life sized. She was staring at herself made completely out of the clearest ice she’d ever seen.

Kristoff had made this. He had made it for her. He told her that she inspired him. Anna suddenly got choked up with emotion. It was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever done for her. She turned to Kristoff without a word and buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

“Anna, are you-“

“Oh, Kristoff it’s so beautiful,” she sobbed into him. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

She felt his arms surround her, pulling her in close and gently rubbing her back. It felt amazing. 

“So, you like it?” he asked, his voice deep and wonderful though the ear pressed against his jacket.

Anna had to laugh. She couldn’t help herself. He was such a beautiful person inside and out. She pulled out of his arms and wiped the tears from her cheeks as she looked up at him. “I love it Kristoff. Thank you. Thank you for making something I will remember for the rest of my life.”

He smiled at her, his gaze falling to her lips. He looked like he was going to kiss her. She desperately wanted him to kiss her. His head even inched forward, until someone started talking on a loudspeaker that the ice carving judging was about to begin. His eyes immediately shifted back to hers and Anna realized that his moment had passed.

She could only hope that they would get to have another one.

They held each other’s hand and watched anxiously while the panel of judges went around and looked at each sculpture. Kristoff didn’t talk much. Anna could tell he was nervous. She didn’t know why. The rest of the sculptures seemed to be lacking compared to his. No wonder he was able to make a living doing it.

The judges looked over their score cards and one of them went to the podium. She announced that the winner of the competition, was “Sculptor Kristoff Bjorgman.”

Anna cheered at the top of her lungs and threw herself into his arms. He caught her and pulled her to his chest in one of the best hugs she’d ever had in her entire life.

*****

Kristoff was smitten. There was no two ways about it. The gorgeous creature across the table from him had stolen his heart. She had the whole world in her smile. 

It was delightful getting to know her better. To get closer to her. He was horrible at reading women but her signals were clear. It was going to be hard to leave after the festival. Impossible even. Still, he had to go back home. 

That thought bothered him more than he wanted to admit. He pushed it from his mind to focus on the way she was eating the piece of chocolate cake that she ordered for dessert. He had never wanted to be a fork so badly in his life.

After he paid for their meal, Anna suggested taking a walk to see the sculpture again. On the way she asked if he had any pictures of other carvings he had done. He happily pulled out his phone and handed it to her to look through. She almost looked surprised that he trusted her with the photos on his phone. He didn’t have anything to hide though. It was all pictures of ice sculptures, scenery from places he had been, and his chocolate lab Sven. 

When they arrived at the park, Anna handed him back his phone having looked at every one of his pictures, giving him wonderful comments on all of his sculptures and fawning over how cute his dog was. She had asked what his name was after seeing the first picture of him.

They took a seat on a park bench and looked at his sculpture of Anna, a silent moment stretching between them.

“Kristoff, this is amazing. All your sculptures… they are so detailed and incredible. How do you do it?”

Kristoff shrugged. “Ice… is my life.” 

“Okay, but how are you able to create such fine details? I looked at all your pictures, they are all so incredible. It blows my mind!”

Kristoff felt his cheeks getting hot. “I draw my inspiration from my surroundings. It’s hard for me to ignore natural beauty,” he looked over at her, hoping she understood his meaning.

“That must be why you win so much,” she smiled at him, clearly not picking up on his intention.

He wanted to kiss her to show her what he meant, but his nose was cold in the chilly winter air and he feared his lips would be too. He didn’t want to have their first kiss turn into something unpleasant. They needed to head somewhere in-doors and warm up.

“Would you like to, maybe grab a drink? There’s a really cool little lounge in the hotel I’m staying in.”

“Where are you staying?”

“The Bavarian Lodge.”

“Oh my God, I love that place. I stayed there when I first came here. It’s an amazing hotel.”

Kristoff waited for an answer until her expression became confused. “So… that is a yes, right?”

Anna laughed like the most gorgeous melody he’d ever heard. “Of course, that’s a yes,” she said and playfully smacked his shoulder. 

He couldn’t help but grin in return.

*****

Anna didn’t hesitate to say yes when he invited her up to his room. She had seen the promise in his eyes all night. She was more than ready. There was no denying what was going on between them. It was the reason they both seemed to start losing their train of thought as they talked late into the night. 

As soon as they were in the door of his room he was leaning in. That’s when Anna heard the first pop. How could she have forgotten? It was one of the highlights of the whole festival. She took off for the balcony of his room.

“What is it?” he asked, close behind her.

“Must be midnight,” she said, unlocking the sliding glass door and pushing it open. “They always have fireworks at midnight on Saturday.”

The sky lit up in brilliant bursts of colour. There was only two times the town did a fireworks display; the fourth of July, and the Christmas festival. Anna hadn’t missed a show yet. Despite the ache deep inside of her to have Kristoff finally kiss her, she just needed to see them. She needed to have this festival mean more to her than all the others. She thought it was going to be ruined for her after what happened with Hans. Then she met Kristoff and she knew it was going to be the best one yet. What better way to make it so than to share the fireworks with the person she had come to care deeply for.

They watched in silence for a minute before Kristoff slid his arm around Anna’s shoulders. His caress was gentle and tentative. Anna leaned into his side, letting him know it was more than welcome. His grip tightened and he pulled her further against him.

His heat was amazing. Anna had never been next to someone who ran so hot. It felt like snuggling up to the living embodiment of a cup of hot chocolate. And he smelled amazing. Something subtle, something woodsy and refreshing. Maybe it was the shampoo he used or the deodorant he wore. Whatever it was, Anna loved it. 

They continued to watch the fireworks until Kristoff turned his head to look at her. She looked back up at him, seeing the brilliant lights flashing in his hooded eyes. Suddenly, she didn’t care about the fireworks anymore. 

He leaned down and pushed his lips to hers.

Anna’s body exploded like the fireworks above them. She gave into him completely, kissing him back with greedy hunger. It had never felt like this before. She had never known such _want_ before. It was like he had awoken something deep inside her that she didn’t even know was there. Anything she had ever felt before, paled in comparison. 

She pulled him in closer. She wanted him so badly. She needed him. He followed her back into the room as he continued to kiss her. When they reached the bed, Anna pushed him onto it then immediately crawled over him and started kissing him again.

He moaned into her mouth as her hands felt their way under his sweater. She could feel the round definition of his abs. Anyone who looked at him would know he was cut, but Anna was unprepared for how much it would stoke the fire between her legs to run her hands over his chest. His skin felt like it was on fire under her palms.

He broke their kiss, surprising her. “Anna, I don’t have-“

“Pill,” she managed to get out before she smashed her lips back against his. 

Kristoff wasted no time in sliding his hands up under Anna’s sweater and caressing her back. Immediately impatient, she sat up straddling his waist and took off her shirt, then reached behind her back to unclasp her bra. Kristoff stared up at her with hooded eyes, his gaze shifting and taking her in as she slid the bra down her arms and tossed it on the floor.

“So beautiful,” he whispered.

“Now you,” Anna demanded and began tugging at his shirt. He curled upward as Anna pulled it off of him. The way he shifted his body, Anna could feel his hard erection between her legs. Her body was absolutely humming with anticipation.

Anna was about to lean her bare chest against his when he suddenly sat up and curled his arm around her waist, flipping them both over. He looked at her with eyes that burned into her soul before he leaned in and kissed her passionately.

He took his time with her. Anna had never been with anyone who gave her the attention she craved. He made her come before he crawled over her and asked if she wanted more. She did want more, she wanted him inside of her. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him, then lowered herself down.

His hands settled on her hips as he rocked with her. It wasn’t long before they were moaning together and finding satisfaction at the same time. Anna had never felt something so wonderful as climaxing simultaneously with a lover. In fact, she had never felt something so wonderful as simply being in the same company as Kristoff.

Laying side by side on their backs as they caught their breath, Anna wondered just how much she was going to hate when this festival came to an end. Kristoff would return home then, and Anna would go back to her life… Right?

Except it wasn’t right at all. It actually felt pretty horrible to think about. Anna was about to push it from her mind when Kristoff did it for her by rolling over her and kissing her again.

Apparently, he was ready for round two.

*****

Anna ran her hand lazily over his chest as she watched it rise and fall with each relaxed breath. She had never known such comfort with anyone before. Normally she felt like she had to keep talking to fill the silence. With Kristoff it was different. It was like she could just be herself around him. He felt like home.

They’d been snuggling since Anna woke with Kristoff curled around her. She had honestly never had such a good sleep. Still, she was getting restless, wanting to have fun on the last day Kristoff was in town.

Neither of them talked about the fact that Kristoff was leaving the next day. It had come up over drinks the night before, and they both changed the subject immediately when they noticed the sadness in each other’s eyes. It was as if neither one of them wanted to deal with it until there was absolutely no choice left.

“What do you want to do today?”

He hummed in the back of his throat. “Stay in bed all day with you.”

Anna chuckled at him. “Well, I’m hungry. Plus, there’s still a lot of stuff going on today. There’s a snowman building competition. Maybe we could do that. Oh, and go on a sleigh ride. That would be fun.”

“Sure,” he said as he rolled over to look down at her. “Anything you want, I’m there.”

“Okay, first you make love to me again. Then we go eat a big breakfast, then we’ll hit the town. Sound good?”

“Better than good,” he breathed before leaning over and kissing her.

*****

The more the day wore on, the more Kristoff felt sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to leave. More specifically, he didn’t want to leave Anna.

He had been having one of the best times of his life since he met her. She was fun and easy to be around. She always had an interesting story or anecdote. She was such a kind and pleasant person that he felt happier being around her, say nothing about how mind-blowing it had been to make love to her. He honestly didn’t think it was possible for sex to be _that_ good.

She had dragged him around the town all day and he loved every moment of it. Then they had eaten an early dinner and wound up in her apartment – it was closer than the hotel – in bed again. It was only then, as they lay naked under the sheets coming down from the throes of heavy passion, that Kristoff knew he wasn’t going to be able to ignore it anymore. It was going to kill him if he didn’t know where things with her were going to go.

Before he could even think of how to bring it up, she was asking him if he wanted to go grab a hot chocolate and look at the ice sculpture again. Maybe she wasn’t ready to talk yet. He could leave it a little longer, couldn’t he? They had the rest of the evening to discuss it. He wouldn’t even know where to start anyway. The right words seemed to escape him. Surely, he could sort it out by the end of the day, couldn’t he? 

No. Probably not even given an entire month to think about it. He never was any good with figuring out the right thing to say. 

He just hoped that Anna felt as strongly about him as he did about her, otherwise he was going to leave Leavenworth with a broken heart. 

*****

Anna would never tire of his kisses. She would never tire of him. It was nearly midnight again and they were locked safely in his hotel room, ready to make love for the third time that day.

Suddenly he was pulled away from her lips, visibly distracted. He looked upset. Clearly there was something on his mind that was more important than the passion building between them.

“Kristoff, what’s wrong?”

“Come with me,” he blurted.

“Where?” came out of her lips before she realized exactly what he meant.

“Manhattan. New York. Hell, Staten Island if you want, just… come with me.”

Anna bit her lip. She hadn’t thought about going back home. She had become so used to living in a small mountain town, she honestly couldn’t think about anything else. It was so peaceful and beautiful. She had amazing friends. She had an amazing job. Could she really trade that all for the concrete jungle… for the traffic, and the noise, and millions of people… a tiny, expensive apartment or a shitty little brownstone with virtually no yard… 

She loved her life. 

Would she still love it however, if Kristoff wasn’t in it?

“Then I’ll move here,” he said at her silence. 

Anna hated the desperate and fearful look in his eyes. “But… what would you do for work?”

“Whatever. I would do anything just to be with you.”

“Kristoff… you have a gift. You could never make a living carving ice in a small place like this. I can’t ask you to give that up. I won’t.”

His face fell. He looked almost as if his heart was breaking. “Anna, please. I want to be with you. I want to have a future with you. I would do anything. I don’t want this to end.”

They had only just met a few days ago and he was ready to give everything up. If that wasn’t love, Anna didn’t know what was. She smiled. There was no way she herself would give everything up except if it was for a person she loved with her entire soul. 

She had found peace in this small town. She had a lot of great years that filled a void within her. Now she had something else to fill that void. Now she had someone who loved her the way she had always dreamed of being loved. There was no doubt in her mind what her future held.

Anna raised her hand and cupped his face with her palm. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

“What… what are you saying?”

“That I will. Go with you, I mean.”

“R-really?” He gave her an incredulous smile.

Anna couldn’t believe that his eyes were welling up. He was going to do this to her now? Really? “Please, Kristoff, don’t. If you start crying, I am going to bawl.”

“Sorry,” he said in a breathless whisper. “I’m just so in love with you.”

How could he not know that would push her emotions over the edge. She started to cry. Kristoff pulled her into a hug and Anna buried her face into his neck. “I love you too,” she mumbled against his skin. 

**Author's Note:**

> for kristannaweek2018 on tumblr


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